


Meet the Grangers

by penguingal, Schnaucl (Onetrackmind)



Series: Close to Home [3]
Category: Numb3rs
Genre: M/M, comment porn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-08-19
Updated: 2007-08-19
Packaged: 2017-11-21 04:49:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/593618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penguingal/pseuds/penguingal, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onetrackmind/pseuds/Schnaucl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alan finds out who Charlie is dating.  Charlie meets Colby's family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Meet the Grangers

Charlie lay pillowed on Colby's chest, nearly asleep.  
  
"So I was thinking...do you want to fly back with me and visit my family?" Colby asked.  
  
Charlie grunted softly and lifted his head, blinking and trying to get his brain back online from the truly wonderful fucking he'd just gotten. He ran his hand over Colby's chest. "You know I'd love to meet them, especially Chris," he said quietly, not wanting to seem too overly enthusiastic. "But they haven't seen you in a long time. I wouldn't want to take away from that, either."   
  
"I'd like for you to come with me. We'll have time to visit, but--I want them to meet you."  
  
Grinning, Charlie leaned over and captured Colby's mouth in a deep kiss. "Then I want to meet them," he said. "When did you want to go?"  
  
"I think I can get some time off at the end of the month. Does that work for you?"  
  
"I can make it work," Charlie promised, a little flutter of happy nervousness working through him. He hugged Colby tight. "I love you."  
  
Colby chuckled. "I love you, too. And I know my family's going to love you. They might be a little... overly enthusiastic at first, but they mean well."  
  
"Overly enthusiastic, huh? What about your dad?" he asked softly.  
  
Colby bit his lip. "I honestly don't know," he said quietly. "Dad and I, we don't really talk about things like this. I've brought men home once or twice before to meet them and Dad always refers to them as my 'friends.' I think he's still trying to protect himself from the reality. I--I hope it'll be different with you." He paused for a moment.  
  
"Speaking of fathers, have you thought any more about telling Alan? About us, I mean?"  
  
"I suppose we should tell him before the trip, huh?"  
  
"It might make it easier to explain why you're flying to Idaho," Colby commented, rubbing Charlie's arm. "But I don't want you to feel pressured. If you're still not ready to tell him, we don't have to."  
  
"No, now is good. I think he's had enough time to adjust. Just don't be surprised if he starts hinting about commitment ceremonies and adoption."  
  
Colby laughed, but only because he knew it was true. Alan was hell bent and determined to see at least one of his sons in a properly committed relationship that would get him grandkids to dote on, and he was betting the fact that his youngest was involved with another man wasn't going to stop him.  
  
"I'll take it in stride, promise. Should we plan to have dinner with him over at the house? Maybe without Millie?"  
  
"God yes!" Charlie said, making a face. Millie would have been okay on her own, but the fact that his dad and his boss were dating still creeped him out. Of course, Don probably felt the same way about his brother dating a junior agent under his command.  
  
"Should we invite Don?"  
  
"Yeah, sure," Colby said, kissing Charlie softly. "It might be easier on Alan to see that Don knows and is okay with it." Deep down, Colby was sure Don still had his issues with him dating Charlie, but the awkwardness at work had slowly lessened. He could still feel Don watching him closely though whenever Charlie was around the team.  
  
"Okay. I'll ask him tomorrow."  
  
"Okay, good," Colby said, pulling Charlie down and kissing him deeply, rolling Charlie underneath him. "You know how happy you make me, right?"  
  
"I'm starting to get a good idea." He smiled and nuzzled Colby's neck.  
  
Colby moaned softly, letting his eyes slip closed for a moment. He settled back down against the mattress, resettling Charlie on his chest. His head was a familiar weight even after just this short time, and he hated the nights that they had to spend apart. Maybe now that they were telling Alan, he'd be able to spend some time at the Eppes family house. "Love you," he said sleepily.  
  
"I love you, too," he murmured. "With all my heart."  
  
....  
  
The next morning, the ringing of Colby's phone coincided with the alarm and he groggily tried to reach for both at the same time, nearly spilling Charlie out of bed. "Sorry," he murmured, kissing him quickly and then answering the phone.  
  
"Granger. Yeah. Yeah, Don. He's here, too. We'll be there," he said, trying to keep his sigh inside.  
  
Charlie groaned but by now he knew the drill: a quick shower with no time for anything fun and then a ride to the FBI building.  
  
Colby ran his hand through Charlie's curls and placed a few soft kisses to the back of his neck, hoping to soothe him a little. "I'll grab my shower, nudge you when I'm out. Close your eyes for a few more minutes."  
  
"Thanks," Charlie mumbled, already halfway back to dreaming.  
  
He showered quickly, rubbing a towel across his hair and then combing it back before heading back out into the bedroom. He paused by the side of the bed, taking half a beat just to watch Charlie sleep, sprawled out across the mattress. Not really wanting to wake him, but knowing he had to, he stroked a hand down Charlie's spine. "Sorry, my genius, but I have to wake you this time."  
  
Charlie only groaned in response, which made Colby grin. "I promise to make it up to you tonight," he purred.  
  
Charlie groaned again. "Going to hold you to that."  
  
"It's a guarantee," Colby said, kissing Charlie again and physically hauling him out of bed.  
  
....  
  
The rest of the team was already assembled when Colby and Charlie walked in together. Colby fought not to blush at all when Don stared at him for a long moment before greeting his brother.  
  
"You're staring," Charlie murmured.  
  
Don blinked and shifted his focus, turning to address the team. He briefed them quickly and thoroughly, and typically, everyone paused and looked at Charlie to see what he would have to say.  
  
Charlie added his thoughts and caught Don before he left the room. "I was thinking it was time to tell Dad," he said quietly.  
  
"Yeah?" Don said, glancing at Colby once. Charlie nodded solemnly.  
  
"He wants me to meet his family, and I want to meet them. Didn't seem fair to do that without all the members of my family knowing, too. I was--I was hoping you'd come, too. We're planning to have dinner with him. At the house."  
  
"Yeah, sure. I can be there."  
  
"Thanks." He squeezed Don's shoulder briefly. He knew Don was still adjusting to all this.  
  
Don watched as Charlie walked casually over to Colby's desk and said a few words to him, smiling broadly at whatever Colby said back. His brother's hand lingered just a moment on Colby's shoulder, nothing anyone would have thought to be out of the ordinary. He had to hand it to them, they were doing everything right to keep their relationship quiet. And Colby was happier than Don had ever seen him.  
  
Charlie smiled and left Don and his team to their work. He had to go home and talk to his dad.  
  
....  
  
"Hey Charlie," Alan greeted him, looking up from the papers he had in his hand. He was digging through another unearthed box and trying to decide if it was something that needed to go to the offices or something he could keep here. "I didn't expect to see you until later."  
  
"I was helping Don on a case. Are you busy tonight? I thought now might be a good time to meet my boyfriend," he said in a rush.  
  
Alan stopped what he was doing and looked at Charlie closely, taking his glasses off. "Boyfriend?"  
  
Charlie swallowed. "Yeah. I've uh--I've been seeing someone for a while now. I would have left a note on the fridge but you said that was for when I had a girlfriend."  
  
Alan smiled a little and then ran his hand over his lips. "Uh, how well do you know this guy? Where'd you meet him?"  
  
"Dad, I promise, you'll get all the answers you want tonight. Just, have dinner with us. Don's coming, too."  
  
"Okay, Charlie. Okay," Alan said, lifting his hands. "We'll have dinner."  
  
Charlie called Colby and Don and filled them in on the dinner plans.  
  
....  
  
Colby knocked lightly on the door to the Eppes home and then poked his head in quickly, heading for the kitchen when he didn't see anyone else. Alan was supposed to be out for most of the afternoon, and Colby wanted to make sure he got there before Alan did.  
  
"Hi, Charlie," he said quietly, a small smile pulling at his lips to see Charlie intently spacing spices on a roast. They were precisely aligned and he was whistling and humming to himself as he worked.  
  
"Hi," Charlie said, looking up and gracing Colby with a huge smile. He walked over and wrapped his arms around him, kissing him deeply. "You okay?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Nervous," Colby admitted. "I really want this to go well, for both our sakes."  
  
"Me too. But I think it will. If Don can learn to deal with it, my Dad can."  
  
"I hope so," Colby said, kissing Charlie tenderly again. He sprang back guiltily when the sound of the front door shutting and Alan's voice reached them.  
  
"Charlie?" Alan called.  
  
"In here, Dad," Charlie replied, putting a comforting hand on Colby's arm.  
  
"Hey, Charlie. Oh--Agent Granger. Are we going to have to reschedule?" Alan asked, sighing. He'd been looking forward to meeting Charlie's boyfriend, but if there were a case, then no doubt Charlie and Don would blow off dinner.  
  
Half a smile pulled at Charlie's lips. "No, Dad. Colby is here for dinner," he said, meeting his father's gaze intently and slipping his hand inside Colby's.  
  
Alan stood very still for a long moment, looking between his youngest son and the agent standing next to him. Colby's eyes were wide and uncertain, but he didn't look away and he didn't drop Charlie's hand. "You. And my son," he said to Colby softly.  
  
"Yes," Colby confirmed, giving Charlie's hand a squeeze and turning his head to look at him. "I love him."  
  
"And I love Colby," Charlie said quietly but firmly.  
  
Alan took one look at the resolve in Charlie's face and knew that this was just something he was going to have to learn how to deal with. It wasn't what he had wanted for Charlie. The news that Charlie was gay had come as a bit of a shock, but it was something he could accept. He had been hoping that whomever Charlie got involved with would be someone outside of law enforcement, someone who could pull Charlie back into the safer world of academia.  
  
But, everything he knew of Colby indicated that he was a good man. Don wouldn't have him on his team if he weren't. And in time, if he had to, he could come to think of Colby as a son, even if it meant dealing with the possibility that all three of them might be hurt one day.  
  
"Dad, say something," Charlie prodded, looking more worried as the seconds spun out.  
  
"Charlie... this is..." He took a deep breath. "I mean, I'm happy for you. I am. It's just going to take some getting used to. But I'm glad you're not alone, that you have someone."  
  
Charlie squeezed Colby's hand, not quite reassured. "I know this isn't what you wanted, but I really am happy."  
  
Alan nodded. "Then that's all I can ask for, isn't it?" he said, smiling at them gently.  
  
"Mr. Eppes..."  
  
"Alan, Colby. Please."  
  
Colby stopped. "Alan. I want you to know Charlie's in good hands with me. I'd never let anything happen to him."  
  
"I know, my boy," Alan said, stepping forward and patting Colby gently on the cheek. "I know. So, does Don know about all of this?"  
  
"He does, actually," Charlie said. "He was supposed to be here tonight but he must have been held up at the office."  
  
Right on cue, the front door opened and closed and Don's voice called, "Dad? Charlie?"  
  
Charlie smiled. "Be right out, Don!"  
  
He smiled at Colby and went out to meet his brother. "You're a little too late for the big reveal."  
  
"Yeah?" Don said, shrugging his jacket off and looking toward the kitchen. That meant his father and Colby were currently alone in a room full of sharp knives. He took comfort in the knowledge that Colby could disarm his Dad without causing him too much bodily harm. "How did he take it?"  
  
"About as well as you did."  
  
Don winced a little. The more he saw of Charlie and Colby together, the more he was okay with it, but he realized his first reaction was less than enthusiastic. "Come on. I'd better see if Colby needs back up," he smiled.  
  
....  
  
Colby felt a little like a bug under a microscope with the way Alan was coolly appraising him. He shifted a little on his feet and listened to the timer on the stove tick away, desperately searching about for a topic of conversation.  
  
"So," Alan said abruptly, "you're really serious about this, about him?"  
  
Colby glanced at the kitchen door. "I am," he said firmly. "Later this month we're planning to go to Idaho to meet my family."  
  
"Oh yeah? Tell me about them."  
  
"Well, there's my Dad, he's ex-Army, too, but is really just a country boy at heart. My mom is your typical country wife. And I have two younger siblings, Chris and Cassie."  
  
"Do they know about Charlie?"  
  
"Chris does," Colby said, picking a carrot out of the salad that was sitting on the counter and playing with it. "I'll tell the rest of them before we go out there. They've been... really supportive of me. And I know they are going to love Charlie."  
  
Don pushed the door to the kitchen open and smiled at his father, Charlie close on his heels. "Hey, Dad."  
  
"Hey, Donny. You're just in time to help set the table."  
  
Don let his father usher him back out into the dining room, leaving Charlie and Colby alone.  
  
"What were you two talking about?" Charlie asked, busying himself with dinner  
  
"Idaho," Colby replied, running his hand through Charlie's hair and kissing his neck.  
  
"Yeah? And did you tell him they're all going to love me because I'm so adorable?" he asked, giving Colby a kiss.  
  
"Well, I might have mentioned that I expect them all to love you, yes," Colby grinned, kissing Charlie again.  
  
....  
  
Alan set the table with Don quietly for a few minutes before clearing his throat. "So, you knew?"  
  
"For a little while now, yes. I'm his boss; I see them together on a regular basis. And--I wasn't exactly on the best terms with Colby when they got involved."  
  
"Tell me what you honestly think of him, Don," Alan said quietly. "Is he good enough for Charlie?"  
  
Don considered the question for a moment. Colby seemed to genuinely care for Charlie, and he didn't think he'd make another mistake like helping out his buddy from Afghanistan. "I think so."  
  
Alan nodded. "All I've ever wanted is for you boys to be happy," he said quietly, setting the last fork in place just as Charlie and Colby were coming out of the kitchen with the food. They were smiling at each other over some shared joke, and he had to admit, they looked good together. Their warmth suffused the whole room, making the house feel cozy and lived in. Maybe this relationship wasn't going to be such a bad thing.  
  
"So did you know about the trip to Idaho?" Alan asked Don as everyone sat down around the table and started helping themselves to the food.  
  
"No," Don said, looking at Colby. "Is that what that time-off request was for?"  
  
Colby nodded. "Yeah. Didn't want to tell you I was planning to take Charlie to visit my folks until we'd had a chance to tell Alan about us. I haven't been home in a long time, and I'm looking forward to showing Charlie around."  
  
"Do they know about Charlie?" Don asked carefully. He wanted to make sure Colby wasn't planning on springing both his sexual preference and Charlie on his parents at the same time.  
  
"My brother does," Colby answered, glancing at Charlie. "I'll tell everyone else before we head out there. Mom'd be furious if I showed up with a guest and didn't warn her ahead of time," he said lightly.  
  
"But they know you're..."  
  
"Gay?" Charlie said. "You can say the word, Don."  
  
Colby put a gentle hand on Charlie's knee, squeezing affectionately as Don glared at him.  
  
"They know you're gay, Colby?" Don repeated.  
  
"Yes, they all know. They've known for a long time now." Colby tried to keep the shadow out of his voice, but the memories of his Dad's reaction still stung, even though their relationship had long been repaired.  
  
"Good."  
  
"What, you thought he'd just bring me home unannounced and --" Charlie began hotly, his fork hitting his plate with a clang.  
  
"That's not what I--" Don started to answer, also getting hot.  
  
"Hey," Colby interjected, firmly but without raising his voice. "It's okay. Don's not doing anything I wouldn't do for my little brother, okay? So, how about we all just take a deep breath?"  
  
Alan gave him a warm smile. "It'll be nice to have someone else with a level head around here."  
  
Colby tried to smile a little at Alan, but his focus was on Charlie. He was a little touched that he would feel the need to jump to his defense, but he didn't like the conflict between him and Don. Having his boyfriend stand up to his boss probably wasn't the best career move. The rest of the meal passed amiably enough, and when Charlie started to clear, Colby followed him.  
  
"Hey," he said, taking Charlie's elbow gently. "You okay?"  
  
"Yeah. Just--a little on edge, I guess. I know Don's trying to watch out for me, I do."  
  
"But?" Colby prompted, wrapping his arms around Charlie's waist and drawing him closer. He nuzzled against his cheek, hoping the contact would soothe whatever was going on in Charlie's head.  
  
"Sometimes I think he's not as okay with all this as he says he is. And I don't know if I should talk to him about it, or just be glad he's trying to be okay even if he isn't."  
  
"Give him a little more time, my genius," Colby said, stroking his hands through Charlie's hair. "We hit him with a lot all at once."  
  
"I know." He tried to relax. "I'll try to be more patient. I guess I just keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, you know?"  
  
"I do," Colby said quietly, running his hands up and down Charlie's back. "Come on. Let's get the rest of this cleaned up and then I can take you back to my place. I seem to recall promising to make this morning up to you." He grinned wickedly.  
  
Charlie smiled and gave Colby a kiss. "Okay."  
  
"Good."  
  
....  
  
Colby and Charlie found Don and Alan sitting together in the living room, staring at a game and quietly sipping their beers. "Um, Charlie and I were going to take off," he started cautiously. "I'm glad we could all have dinner together."  
  
"Me too. We'll have to do it again," Alan said.  
  
"Yeah, definitely," Don said, sitting up and looking at Charlie, hoping his tone now would at least help make up for whatever he'd said earlier. It was getting easier to see Colby with Charlie, mostly because it was obvious how much he cared for him. It was getting his head out of the place where he was Colby's boss that was hard.  
  
Charlie said his goodnights and squeezed Don's shoulder in mute apology on the way out the door.  
  
"They're really kind of sweet together, aren't they?" Alan said, mostly to himself.  
  
Don took another sip of his beer and nodded.  
  
"Think Colby's sister would consider being a surrogate for them?"  
  
Don just shook his head and didn't answer.  
  
....  
  
Once they were in the car, Colby pulled Charlie over for a long, passionate kiss. "Can't wait to get you back into bed," he murmured.  
  
"Can't wait to be there." Charlie rested his hand on Colby's knee.  
  
Colby rested his hand on top of Charlie's as he drove, running his thumb along the knuckles. "Glad to hear it," he replied. Making slow, sweet, passionate love to Charlie was quickly becoming one of his favorite activities. It wasn't much longer and they were pulling in to Colby's parking lot. He took Charlie's hand and kissed the palm. "I love you."  
  
"I love you, too. And so will Dad. And even Don, in his way."  
  
"I know," Colby said, pulling Charlie over for a kiss. "But your Dad and brother are the last two people I want to be thinking about right now," he murmured.  
  
Charlie laughed. "Point taken."  
  
Colby grinned, happy to see Charlie laugh again. It had been a stressful night, and he was looking forward to relaxing and enjoying his lover's body. He wrapped his arm around Charlie's waist, holding him close as they made their way inside and kissing him deeply as soon as the door to the apartment was shut. He walked him slowly backward across the apartment and into the bedroom. "Do you know how amazing you are?" he whispered, nibbling on Charlie's neck.  
  
"Why don't you tell me?"  
  
"You're sweet and sexy and passionate and I can't get enough of you," Colby said, undoing the buttons on Charlie's shirt.  
  
"That's what I like to hear." He grinned and gave Colby a kiss, waiting until he was finished unbuttoning his shirt before starting the process of stripping Colby.  
  
Colby pushed Charlie's shirt off his shoulders and tossed it aside, his hands landing on his waist to pull him flush against his body.  
  
"Hi." Charlie grinned and kissed Colby passionately, hands already fumbling at his belt.  
  
"Mmm," Colby moaned into the kiss, returning the favor and starting to work Charlie's belt open.  
  
Charlie eagerly slipped out of his pants, holding onto Colby for balance. "Fuck me."  
  
"Don't have to tell me twice," Colby murmured, backing Charlie to the bed and laying him down on it. He kissed Charlie over and over as his hands explored and teased before finally wrapping his hand around his cock and stroking him languidly. "How do you want to be fucked, my genius? Hard? Slow? Tell me," he purred.  
  
"Hard," Charlie whispered. "Hard, but make it last."  
  
Colby kissed him deeply in agreement before reaching over for the lube and slicking his fingers. He slipped two deep into Charlie, crooking them just so.  
  
Charlie cried out, pushing back against Colby's fingers.  
  
"Love those sounds," Colby murmured, working his fingers in and out, stretching Charlie as much as he was giving him pleasure. He slipped a third finger in just to be sure. "Tell me you want it," he demanded.  
  
"Want it, please. Fuck me, Colby!"  
  
Without hesitation, Colby slicked his cock and lined himself up, using his hands wrapped around Charlie's hips to help him slide home. He pulled out a little and slammed inside again, finding the top of what he knew to be Charlie's limit. His thrusts were sharp and shallow, making sure to keep near that edge, wanting to make it last like Charlie had asked for.  
  
Charlie moaned and writhed, instantly beyond coherence.  
  
"God, Charlie!" Colby moaned, his hands flexing on Charlie's hips with each thrust, the tips sure to leave bruises. The thick sound of their bodies coming together filled the still room, broken only by the sounds of their moans and brief cries as Colby drew both of their pleasures out to the breaking point. Eventually, he released one hand to wrap it around Charlie's cock, stroking him rough and firm.  
  
Charlie's body arched and he came shouting Colby's name.  
  
A few more thrusts and Colby was following Charlie over, crying out as he emptied himself deep in Charlie. He took a few moments to let the ground reassert itself and then gently slipped from Charlie's body, stretching out next to him on the mattress and running a soothing hand along his skin. "Sometimes," he started, smiling wickedly, "I wonder what the neighbors think."  
  
Charlie laughed. "They think you've got yourself a very nice piece of ass," he said, grinning.  
  
"They wouldn't be wrong," Colby laughed, kissing Charlie deeply. He squeezed the body part in question gingerly, knowing Charlie was likely to be sore. "So I was thinking I'd call Mom and Dad tomorrow and let them know we'll be coming. You want to be here when I do?"  
  
"Yeah, I'd like that. Do you think they'll take it okay?"  
  
Colby stroked Charlie's hair. "I think they will. I think Dad'll probably be a little quiet on the phone, but don't let that discourage you."  
  
"I won't." He was more than a little intimidated though. Nervous.  
  
Colby kissed his forehead and settled him on his chest. "It'll be fine, you'll see. I'll call them tomorrow just after dinner, when they'll all be around."  
  
....  
  
Just after 6:00 the next night, once the dishes from their own dinner were in the sink, Colby wrapped an arm around Charlie's shoulder. "You ready for this?"  
  
"Yeah," he said quietly. He was still nervous but he wanted to do this and he was as ready as he'd ever be.  
  
Colby pressed one of the wireless hand sets into Charlie's hand and used the other to speed dial his parents' house.  
  
"Hello?" came a soft, young female voice from the other end almost immediately.  
  
Colby grinned. "Hi, little one. How are you?"  
  
"Colby," Cassie complained. "I'm in college now. I think we can dispense with calling me 'little one', don't you?"  
  
"You'll always be my baby sister, no matter how old you get."  
  
"Wonderful. So, what's up?"  
  
"Where's everybody else? I--I need to talk to everyone about something," Colby said quietly.  
  
"Colby?" Cassie said, voice instantly worried. "Are you hurt? What's going on?"  
  
"I'm fine, little one. I promise. Can you just get Mommy, Dad, and Chris for me?"  
  
"Mom! Colby's on the phone! He wants to talk to all of us!" Cassie called off the line.  
  
Colby reached over and took Charlie's hand, squeezing it gently.  
  
Charlie squeezed back and swallowed nervously.  
  
"Colby, honey, is everything all right?" his mom asked.  
  
"Everything's fine, Mom," Colby answered, smiling softly. "How are you and Dad? Everything okay there?"  
  
"Don't try to change the subject, son," his Dad said gruffly, but there was genuine concern behind it. "We're all here, so why don't you tell us what's going on?"  
  
"Can Chris hear me?"  
  
"I'm right here!" came a more distant voice that if Charlie didn't know better he would have sworn was just a slightly younger version of Colby. There was also a grin in it, one that said he didn't have to be too close because he knew what was coming.  
  
"I've met someone," Colby said without further preamble. "His name is Charlie. We've been together for a few months now, but we've known each other for a couple years, and we're very much in love. I want to bring him out in a couple weeks to meet everyone."  
  
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone before Chris finally spoke up. "Congratulations, Col! I can't wait to meet him."  
  
Colby's mother cleared her throat. "Yes, that's wonderful, dear. Is-is he there? Can we speak to him?"  
  
"He's right here. Say hi, Charlie."  
  
"Hello," Charlie said quietly. "I'm Charlie Eppes, I consult for the FBI. That's how I met Colby."  
  
"Hi Charlie!" Cassie said from one line, almost everyone else chiming in with his or her own greetings.  
  
"What kind of consultant are you?" Colby's Dad asked.  
  
"I'm a mathematician," Charlie answered simply.  
  
"Dad, Charlie's a professor of Applied Mathematics at Cal Sci and a leading mind in his field. The things he can do with math... they're amazing. Things I didn't even know were possible."  
  
"Well there's a surprise," Chris teased. "Math was never your favorite subject."  
  
"Yeah, well, maybe I have a new appreciation for the subject," Colby said, turning his head and grinning at Charlie.  
  
Chris snorted and was about to say something else, when his Dad cut him off. "You two can continue this conversation later. Colby, just let us know when you plan to get here. We'll have the guest room set up for the both of you. I still have a couple of chores to do, and Cassie, you have homework."  
  
"Okay, Dad. I'll talk to you later. Little one? Study hard."  
  
There was a pause and then Colby's Mom spoke. "Ignore him. We're all very excited to meet you, Charlie. You'll call and let us know when to expect you, Colby?"  
  
"Of course, Mom. Thanks. Give Chris the phone for a sec?"  
  
"Sure, honey. I love you."  
  
"Love you, too. Hey, Chris. So, tell me. How was he really?"  
  
There was a pause and Colby could almost hear him checking over his shoulder. "Surprised, I think. But he wasn't angry. He smiled when you said he was a professor. Charlie, I can't wait to meet you in person. The guy that can make my brother all moony-eyed _has_ to be interesting."  
  
"I'm not moony-eyed!" Colby protested.  
  
Charlie laughed. "I'm really looking forward to meeting you, Chris. Colby's had nothing but good things to say about you."  
  
"So, what have you done with my brother?" Chris teased.  
  
"Okay, okay brat. I'll see you in a couple weeks," Colby said, grinning and shaking his head.  
  
Chris laughed. "Sure thing, Col. And Charlie? Don't sweat my Dad. He'll warm up. I promise."  
  
"Thanks. That's good to hear," Charlie said. He looked over at Colby and smiled.  
  
"Goodnight," Colby said, waiting for Chris's reply before hanging up the phone. He took a deep breath, the first one he'd really taken since the call started. Shifting to sit next to Charlie, he draped an arm over his shoulder and pulled him close, leaning down to kiss him deeply. "That went well. Well, about as well as could be expected."  
  
"I thought it went well. They didn't ask me not to come. They even have us sharing a room."  
  
"Yeah, that was kind of a surprise. They've never done that before," Colby said, snuggling a little closer. "I'm glad, though. I would have hated for you to be alone in a strange house like that. Just to be fair, we'll have to sneak into my old room for a quickie. Would hate to have your childhood bedroom be the only one we've had sex in." He grinned and kissed Charlie tenderly at first and then slowly let it slide into a fierce and dirty one.  
  
Charlie moaned and returned Colby's kiss. "Can't wait to meet Chris."  
  
"I'm sure you'll have plenty in common," Colby said. "Now enough about my family." He took the handset out of Charlie's hand and placed it on the coffee table, urging him to lie down on the sofa and immediately covering him with his body.  
  
"Was there something else you wanted to talk about?" Charlie asked innocently.  
  
Colby chuckled and shook his head. "I think my point was that I didn't really want to talk anymore at all," he said, pressing firmly against Charlie, one knee rubbing between his legs.  
  
Charlie groaned and wrapped his arms around Colby.  
  
They made love there on the couch, Colby slipping Charlie into his mouth and sucking until he tipped over the edge with a soft cry and then Charlie returning the favor. Satiated, Colby arranged Charlie on his chest, his hand stroking down his spine.  
  
"I'm really looking forward to this trip," Charlie said quietly, his hand tracing patterns on Colby's skin.  
  
"It'll be here before you know it," Colby replied, kissing Charlie's forehead.  
  
....  
  
Two weeks later and they were both staring at nearly empty suitcases trying to figure out what to pack. "This shouldn't be this hard," Colby said. "I've gone home dozens of times."  
  
"Yeah, but now you're trying to impress them and show them you haven't changed."  
  
Colby sighed and tossed the shirt he was holding in his hands down on the bed, sitting heavily on the edge. He felt the bed dip behind him as Charlie crawled over to him and his hands rubbed his shoulders.  
  
"I'm nervous," Colby admitted, leaning back a little into his hands.  
  
"Me too. Is there anything I can do for you?"  
  
"You're doing it," Colby said, reaching back to grab Charlie's wrist and pull him in. He turned his head to capture his lips in a deep kiss.  
  
"It'll be okay," Charlie said quietly.  
  
"I know. I just want this visit to go well, for both our sakes." Colby's mind went back to the day he'd told his father he was gay and the gut wrenching fear of that moment. It was something he'd always carry with him, no matter how much time passed.  
  
Charlie saw Colby's eyes darken and he kissed his neck. "No matter what happens, just remember that I love you."  
  
"If you can promise the same," Colby said, reaching over to caress Charlie's cheek. "I think everyone will behave, I just--"  
  
"I know," Charlie said, running his hands up and down Colby's arms. "Let's finish packing."  
  
Colby nodded. "Yeah, okay."  
  
....  
  
The next morning, Colby woke long before the alarm was set to go off. He rolled gently to the side and wrapped an arm around Charlie, watching him sleep. "I love you," he whispered in his ear.  
  
"Good," Charlie mumbled. "Because I'm in love with you, too."  
  
Colby chuckled and pressed a soft kiss to Charlie's shoulder. "Thought you were still asleep," he murmured.  
  
"I am, mostly."  
  
Colby kissed his shoulder again. "Stay that way. It's early."  
  
"M'kay. Don't worry. It'll be okay." He tugged Colby closer and let his eyes close again.  
  
Colby snuggled into Charlie's heat and tried to let himself drift off again, but there were too many emotions swirling through him: fierce love for Charlie and an overwhelming sense of wanting to protect him, nervousness about his family's reaction to Charlie, about Charlie's reaction to his family. He could almost feel all these thoughts pounding at his brain, making any further sleep impossible, and when the alarm finally went off, he silenced it with a sigh.  
  
Charlie groaned but didn't try to go back to sleep. "Colby? You okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm okay," Colby said, taking a deep breath. "Just thinking too much. How about you?"  
  
"I'm okay. Worried about you. You know, no matter what happens with your family, I'm still going to love you."  
  
Colby swallowed hard, his heart suddenly in his throat as he looked at Charlie. Instead of trying to respond with a voice he didn't entirely trust, he pulled Charlie close and kissed him deeply, his hand at the back of his neck. "Thank you," he managed. "You have no idea how much that means."  
  
Charlie returned the kiss and held Colby tightly. "I'm always going to love you," he whispered. "No matter what."  
  
"Then let's do this," Colby said, smiling at Charlie and getting out of bed. With his genius at his side, there didn't seem to be anything that could stop him.  
  
....  
  
The flight to Idaho was uneventful, the two of them sitting quietly together and talking about everything but Colby's family. They got off the plane and collected their bags, and just as Colby was thumbing his phone open to give Chris a call, he heard a familiar voice shouting his name.  
  
"Chris!" Colby called back, his face splitting into a huge grin as his brother hurried over to them. He carefully dropped his bags and grabbed him in a huge bear hug. "It is so good to see you, man!"  
  
"You too. And this must be Charlie!"  
  
Charlie smiled and forced himself to keep Chris' gaze. He tried to stand tall, to look like he belonged with Colby and hoped Chris didn't find him wanting.  
  
Chris grinned at him and stepped forward, grabbing him in a huge hug. "It is really nice to meet you!"  
  
Charlie hugged him back shyly.  
  
"Come on. Let's get to the car and I can tell you all of Colby's embarrassing stories from childhood."  
  
"All of them?" Charlie said, perking up a little.  
  
Colby laughed. "Careful there, little brother. I can still kick your ass." He wrapped an arm around Charlie's shoulders and followed Chris toward the parking lot.  
  
"Should have warned you," he whispered in Charlie's ear. "My whole family hugs hello."  
  
"It's okay. I like it." He wished sometimes that his own family were a little more physically demonstrative.  
  
Chris talked steadily as he drove, filling Colby in on the goings-on around town and at home, figuring neither of them would want to repeat themselves later at the house. He'd barely gotten the car in park before the rest of the family was filing out the door to greet them. Chris rolled his eyes and looked at Charlie.  
  
"Forgive them their curiosity," he said with a smile. "Sometimes my family has all the subtlety of a wrecking ball."  
  
Colby chuckled and placed his hand on the side of Charlie's face, getting him to look him in the eyes. "Ready?"  
  
Charlie swallowed. "Ready as I'll ever be."  
  
Colby squeezed Charlie's hand and opened the door, smiling and waving at his family as Charlie followed him. He kept their hands linked as he walked up the front walk.  
  
"Honey! I'm so glad you're home," his mom said, hugging him tightly.  
  
"Hey, Mom," Colby said, smiling. "I want you to meet Charlie. Charlie, this is my mom."  
  
The hug she gave Charlie was little more restrained, but he didn't mind.  
  
"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Granger."  
  
"It's nice to meet you, too, dear," she said, patting the back of Charlie's hand. "And you can call me Alice."  
  
"Hi, Charlie!" Cassie piped up from behind her father, having gotten tired of bouncing on her toes for the last several moments.  
  
Colby rolled his eyes but he smiled. "What am I, chopped liver?"  
  
Cassie blushed. "Sorry, Col." She rushed into his arms and hugged him tightly. Her head barely came up to his collarbone, but there was a feistiness behind her eyes. "I missed you."  
  
"I missed you, too, little one," Colby murmured, stroking her hair gently. "Charlie, as you probably guessed, this bundle of energy is my sister, Cassie."  
  
"Oh, he's hot. Chris said Colby said you were hot, but, man. I don't suppose you have a hot, single, emotionally available brother?"  
  
"Cassie," Colby warned.  
  
Charlie thought about Don for a moment. "Well, he's hot and single," he said finally, laughing at the look on Colby's face.  
  
"Shame," Cassie said, grinning big. She stepped in and gave Charlie a quick squeeze.  
  
There was a beat of silence as Colby turned toward his father and extended his hand. "Dad. It's good to see you."  
  
Colby's father took the offered hand and then pulled him into a manly hug. "It's good to see you, too, son."  
  
Charlie smiled, pleased and relieved.  
  
Colby's grin could have lit up Chicago and he took a moment to get himself back under control. He took Charlie's hand again and looked up at his father. "Dad, this is Charlie."  
  
"Pleased to meet you, Sir," Charlie said, offering his hand.  
  
There was another long beat of silence as Colby's Dad looked Charlie over. "Bill," he said, taking Charlie's hand and shaking it warmly, pressing it in his other palm. "Come on in the house. Alice just made some fresh tea."  
  
Colby and Chris exchanged a look, and neither of them could hide the relief on their faces.  
  
Charlie held himself carefully. It was important to him to make a good impression on Colby's family and it was clear they were all making an effort.  
  
"So tell us about yourself, Charlie," Alice said.  
  
"Well, I'm a professor of applied mathematics at Cal Sci and I consult with my brother Don's team primarily at the FBI," Charlie said, pausing as he realized he was just about to give Colby's family his resume.  
  
"What about your parents?" Alice asked sweetly.  
  
"My father is semi-retired. He used to work as a city planner in Los Angeles. My mom was a lawyer and, I found out recently, an accomplished musician."  
  
"Was?" Chris asked softly.  
  
Charlie coughed and looked over at Colby, who just took his hand and squeezed. "She was diagnosed with cancer about four years ago. She passed away a little over a year later."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that," Alice said. "So does your brother work with Colby?"  
  
"Oh, um," Charlie coughed and looked at Colby.  
  
"Don's my boss."  
  
"Isn't that--?" Cassie started to ask and then stopped herself, biting her lip and looking like she kind of hoped no one had heard her.  
  
"Awkward?" Colby supplied with a smile. "Yeah, it was a little at first. Still is. But it's getting better."  
  
Bill cleared his throat. "So, exactly what can a mathematician do to help out the FBI?"  
  
"A lot, actually," Charlie said brightly. He really tried to make sure he didn't go overboard with his explanations and he made sure to keep everything general.  
  
Colby let him ramble for a while until he was practically bouncing in his seat and he could see his fingers twitching like they felt the absence of a piece of chalk and a board.  
  
"The point is, Dad," Colby finally interrupted him, "Charlie's help is invaluable to us. We've saved a lot of lives because of him."  
  
"That's wonderful, darling," Alice said, just as a bell to a timer went off. "Oh, sounds like dinner is about ready."  
  
"Kids, go help your mother in the kitchen. I want to talk with Charlie," Bill said.  
  
Charlie swallowed.  
  
"Dad--" Colby began.  
  
"Colby, go help your mother."  
  
Charlie looked at Colby and gave him a small nod.  
  
"I'll be just down the hall," Colby murmured, squeezing Charlie's hand and giving him a quick kiss on the lips. It might have been a bad idea to show Charlie even that much affection in front of his father, but he couldn't care about that. He was too much in love.  
  
Bill watched Colby until he left the room and then turned his attention to Charlie. He had to give the boy credit for looking him in the eye despite the way he was fidgeting lightly and wringing his hands a little. "So, you're in love with my son. Tell me why."  
  
Well, at least that was a question he could answer. "He's a good man," he said quietly. "He's smart and strong and brave. But he can be--gentle, too. He's dedicated and loyal."  
  
"I see. And how long do you plan to stay with him?" It was a pointed question, but he knew Colby had been hurt before. He hated to see his boy, his eldest, go through that.  
  
"I--we haven't really talked about it yet. But I didn't go into this relationship lightly. Neither of us did. And we both decided from the beginning that we wanted to be exclusive."  
  
Nodding slowly, Bill sat forward. It was an answer he could accept. "I'm sure Colby told you about me, about how I reacted when--well, when he told me. I wish every day I could do that moment over again. I love my son very much, Charlie, and I don't want to see him hurt. Not by anyone or anything. It's not hard to see on your face how much you love him, and that's something I'm holding you to. He deserves that kind of deep and true love. Understand?"  
  
"I understand, Sir. And I agree. And I think--he sees the effort you're making now, and I know even without talking to him that it makes him deeply happy."  
  
Colby leaned on the wall separating the hallway from the living room, biting his lip against the few tears he could feel threatening. He'd always known deep down that his father loved him, but it was so good to actually hear him say it.  
  
"It's Bill," Colby's father corrected, standing and offering a hand down to Charlie and pulling him up to stand when he took it. "I can see you're a good man. And I'm happy for the both of you." And he pulled Charlie into a brief hug.  
  
Charlie returned the hug and smiled.  
  
"C'mon, best get you back to Colby before he thinks I've done something terrible."  
  
Retreating quietly, Colby slipped back into the kitchen, meeting Chris's knowing glance for just a moment. His Dad's arm was around Charlie's shoulder as they walked in.  
  
"Smells fantastic, Alice," Bill noted.  
  
Colby met Charlie's eyes. "Everything okay?"  
  
"Everything is great," Charlie said, smiling.  
  
Colby smiled back and reached out for Charlie's hand, squeezing it gently.  
  
Dinner was set on the table and everyone else filed dutifully into the dining room, but Colby put a hand on his father's shoulder. "Dad... I just--thank you. Thank you for trying. It means so much to us both."  
  
"All I ever wanted is for you to be happy, Son. I'm sorry if I made you doubt that," Bill said gruffly.  
  
"Hey, come on," Chris called, "the food's getting cold!"  
  
Dinner was pleasant, the playful banter among the Granger family a clear indication of where Colby had gotten his dry, sarcastic wit. Conversation continued over coffee and dessert and on into the night until Alice and Bill finally excused themselves to bed. Cassie followed soon after, needing to work on a paper.  
  
Chris sat back in his chair and looked Charlie and Colby over. "You two fit together very well, you know."  
  
"Thank you. I like to think so," Charlie said, relaxing against Colby's side.  
  
Colby wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pressed a kiss into his temple. "Definitely."  
  
"So, how did you two actually get together? You kinda seem like an unlikely pair," Chris needled.  
  
"It was--gradual," Charlie said. "At least, for me it was."  
  
"It was for me, too. I was fascinated by him," Colby said softly, glancing at Charlie from time to time as he spoke. They'd never talked about this. "I watched him whenever he worked with us, which was a lot, but never really thought... and then one night after a bad case, there he was."  
  
"We bonded over you, actually. Or rather, the relationships between siblings. I was worried about Don."  
  
"Tell me about Don," Chris prompted. "If you're going to be part of the family now I want to know what I'm getting into." He grinned and dropped them both a wink.  
  
"Don't get too far ahead of yourself," Colby muttered, but still pulled Charlie close to him.  
  
"Come on. Dad practically gave Charlie his blessing. As far as I'm concerned, that makes him a Granger."  
  
"Thank you," Charlie said softly, genuinely touched.  
  
"You're welcome," Chris said with a grin. "So, tell me about Don. What's he like?"  
  
"Don is a good man. Very driven. He demands perfection," Charlie said after a moment.  
  
"Sounds like he could be a hard guy to get along with," Chris said, frowning slightly. "But he's okay with you dating Colby? There's no weirdness?"  
  
"Oh, there's plenty of weirdness," Colby said. "But he's working on it. I think he's mostly okay now. He was definitely surprised when we told him."  
  
"Yeah. He didn't know I was gay so I had to break that news first."  
  
Chris winced in sympathy. "That's never easy." He glanced at the clock. "Well, I think I'll call it a night. You two probably need a respite from all the family togetherness. I'll see you in the morning."  
  
"'Night, Chris," Colby said, standing to give his brother a hug. "And uh, in case I've never said it before, thanks. For everything."  
  
Smiling, Chris patted Colby on the shoulder as he started to leave the room. "You're my brother. I'd do anything for you."  
  
"I'm glad," Colby said. After Chris had gone, he pulled Charlie up by the hand, squeezing it and then drawing him forward into a deep, passionate kiss. "I love you so much, and I am so lucky to have you here with me."  
  
"I'm so glad you want me here. Want me to share your life."  
  
"Want you in all parts of my life, for as long as you want to be here," Colby said. "I don't know if we'll ever be able to make this... formal, or if that's even something you want, but I wanted you to know that."  
  
"Yeah?" Charlie smiled and kissed Colby tenderly. "Me too."  
  
Colby grinned, a surge of euphoria flooding him and he had to stop himself from laughing. Instead, he kissed Charlie deeply again. "Does this mean we should go on a honeymoon?" he murmured against his lips.  
  
Charlie laughed. "I'll let you explain that one to Don."  
  
"Sure," Colby said, "if you explain it to my father."  
  
Charlie balked, and Colby couldn't help laughing at the expression on his lover's face. He stroked Charlie's cheek and kissed him once again, softer, more familiar this time. "I suppose we have time for that kind of thing. Let's get some sleep."  
  
He led Charlie into the guest bedroom and closed the door behind him, shutting out all the soft noises of a happy, settled home and leaving them alone together at last. Drawing Charlie forward, he pressed their foreheads together. "Mine. You are all mine, and I'll always love you, no matter what life brings us."  
  
"And I'll always love you. No matter what." He kissed Colby gently, tenderly, then with a bit more heat.  
  
Colby returned the kiss, backing Charlie to the bed and stripping him slowly. They made love, soft and quiet, Colby kissing Charlie deeply at the moment of their climax to muffle the sounds. Sated and sleepy, they curled into each other's arms. For one of the first times ever, Colby felt like his life was perfect, with all the people he loved under one roof. Content with that thought, he let Charlie's warmth and weight pull him into sleep.


End file.
